I help tournament & league tennis players build a trust mindset for bridging the confidence gap between practice & the real match. Bridging that gap is an install method of specific self-talk messages that close the gap. DM me for details on my 14-Day Install Program.

How to survive the ugly. This post from Coach Bowman is the truth for becoming world class.

How to Survive the Ugly. Most players quit the fix the week it makes them worse. A guy you usually beat wins. So you go looking for a different answer. Don’t. Stay with your one-word fix cue for 30 days. You’ll be amazed.

We tend to rush thru good serve tech b/c we want to be ready for the return. Trust these 2 things for pure power, spin, directional control. #1) Finish your tossing motion w/ your arm extended up so that you put yourself into the ideal up swing set up position. #2) Hit up.

2 forehand mistakes most players make. 1) They can demo a perfect finish position without an incoming ball, but not with a ball. With the ball, they focus on 'hitting & seeing' a great power forehand. That's multi-tasking. The finish position loses out. Instead, demo that perfect finish super SLOWLY 10x without a ball & feel how you got there. Then add an underhand one-bounce feed, slow swing, & feel the finish. 2) You start a rally with your forehand by pulling a ball out of your pocket, dropping it anywhere, & slop over a forehand. You just told your brain ... THIS is my forehand. Instead, pull a ball out of your pocket, turn into the perfect racket prep position, drop the ball to where you're perfectly spaced away from it, and then slowly swing out to your perfect finish position. You just told your brain ... THIS is my forehand.

Tom Stow: - Kid, when you master these few fundamentals, THAT's the advanced stuff. Spend MORE time building a foundation that's grounded in pure fundamentals. That's where confident shot choice clarity, commitment, & conviction get built. Advanced players live there.

Dave Sivertson: - Take the sideline out of it. We miss way too many up-the-line shots that leak out wide b/c we think we have to thread the needle. You don't. Your up the line target is well inside that line. (See my post from yesterday re: the Dick Johnson target mindset.)

Stroke technique: pare away the unneeded.

Dick Johnson: - I take my time to hit a quality shot to a specific target. - Since the guy over there is good, I assume it's coming back. - That's OK. If it does come back, I'll just take it from there. Get comfy & trust staying in the point.

There’s a difference between “I’m not good at this right now” and “I’ll never be good at this.” @thejustinwelsh Most players treat another missed shot as a future verdict. They reach for the box of band aids. Another small hoped for quick fix. Get back to putting in the boring Reps of the few real fundamentals ... as your fix.

After 50 the ranking that matters is not your NTRP. It is: are you out for 8 weeks with a calf, a shoulder, or an elbow? It's not taking care of that little twinge you feel in a practice or a match. 'Playing through it' creates those 8 weeks out. Stop & be smarter ...

Your 1st serve is deep. Then the next 5 seconds. "Don’t double fault. Gotta get ready early. Don't serve to his forehand." The 2nd serve toss gets rushed. The finish gets cut off. Instead ... TARGET: Find a crease/smudge on the tape on top of the net. Your 2nd serve is definitely going over that smudge. Relax your grip. Trust. Go.

The Illusion of your Comfy Confines Confidence. Your club. Every Tue. 11am. Ct 4. Same guy you solved years ago. Not great for prepping 'trust' confidence for an upcoming trnmnt or league match. Get out of your comfy confines. Different guy, club, time, & problems to solve.

A bonehead mistake we all make from time to time. We butcher an 'easy' ball, & then decide to make up for it by going BIG on the next point. And we butcher that one too. Oops. We're going to miss an easy shot now & then. Emotionally stable players accept that & move on.

Matches aren't filled with you hitting highlight shots over & over. Get comfy with allowing that opponent to make errors & so that you win points, games, sets, & the match. Focus on making your 1st 3 shots in every point & then just take it from there. You'll get the 'W'.

Want more power on your groundstrokes? 1st thing to tinker with is a more relaxed grip pressure to start the swing. You'll naturally get a faster swing speed without muscling the ball at contact + better spin for control. Relax your hands + exhale out through contact.

Still making too many errors? Gotta STOP crowding the ball. Footwork. Focus on creating space away from the path of the incoming ball. Get comfortably aligned to that path so that your stroke mechanics are simple & repeatable. Then you're a confident shot-making machine.

Overthinking is a committee of 12 shouting different shot choices at this incoming ball. More than one shot choice is why we play tight. We lose commitment & conviction. Trust your initial shot choice that's based on your opponent's strength / average / weakness.

Let's say you get to pick just ONE to put in Reps during the next 5 days. Which ONE is it for you? - Pare away the unneeded stroke technique. What's left is the advanced stuff. - Take the sideline out of it. - A stationary target is that spot above the white line. - Win your self-talk First Victory for confidence before every practice & match. - Play like you have nothing to lose from the start. Not when you're down 0-4 in the set. - Focus on repeating More of That, not less of that. - Hustle for every ball. Be the guy who refuses to go away no matter the score. - Get out of your Comfy Confines. Schedule a Home & Home next week. - Narrow down your shot choice menu based on your opponent's strength. - When you hit a shot you love. Record it as a mental video. Then when you miss it -> Recall it. Replay it. Rehearse it. Which ONE is it for you?

Stroke technique. 1st things 1st. Spacing = no stroke improvisation required. - Relaxed hands. - Full shoulder turn to prep the racket. - Footwork aligns you to the path of the incoming ball. Crowded at contact = improv takes over = errors. Solve it with spacing. Practice Reps.